I know I only recently wrote a post on sign and using sign languages for babies, but it has been getting better and better.
Lexi’s verbal development has taken back seat to her physical development ever since she started walking, so while she keeps adding words to her vocabulary little by little, her use of signs has exploded.
I’ve had this post written in my head for MONTHS. Since Alexis started walking full time at 11 months. And it was only now when a reader asked me to write it, did I actually consider putting it “on paper”.
For the past few months I’ve had unexplained joy inside of me. Waking up with Lexi and seeing how she has changed, what a wonderful little person she is becoming, how she is turning into a girl.
As I am slowly and painfully trying to design/fill/create Alexis’ playroom I am finding absolutely zero guides online as to how best to do it.
The truth is, while it is very personal as to what kind of playroom you design for your children, it is also important to make sure that you’ve got all your educational and creative basis covered, as well as make it a comfortable, safe and inviting environment.
So I decided to put together my own guide. It’s not a guide for OTHER people, it’s MY guide, though you can definitely use it to help you define your baby’s playroom areas, as well. I’ll be sure to put in a few finds for you guys, too.
Oh what a change this Easter was from our last year’s Easter.
I cannot get over how much fun it is to have a toddler. To see all the experiences?through?their curious eyes.
We had two egg hunts this year, but at the moment I will only be posting one. The second one has 748 photos to go through. And is more of a baby photoshoot than an egg hunt. Gorgeous inspired photoshoot.
On Saturday we were invited to a neighborhood egg hunt and boy, was I surprised.
Our Vine videos from the beginning. It’s a bit slow in the beginning, but gets much cuter half way through.
Join us on Vine: The Art of Making a Baby
There are some things I can do with ease… Give me photography, video editing, anything computer related, programming, languages, reading, memorizing, researching, filling out- I won’t blink an eye at the challenge. But anything to do with decor, style and crafting – it just eludes me.
So as a disclaimer, nothing here was handmade by me. The most I did that would be considered crafty is buy parts and assemble them based on the vision in my head.
This was also the first time in my life that I wanted it to be perfect, to work out well. I am usually a “prepare like crazy but go with the flow” kind of girl. But Alexis’ first birthday carried a special significance to me. It signified her transformation from a baby into a toddler and my transformation from Elena to Elena who is Lexi’s mom. It was the time to celebrate her babyhood (while cheerfully waving goodbye to it, because we like being a toddler oh so much more) and it was my first chance to celebrate her birth ( since I didn’t get to do the baby party like I wanted to when Alexis was a few months old).
After we decided that yes, we do in fact want a birthday party, I tackled the overwhelming task of figuring out the theme that wouldn’t be too much work, but was also unique enough that just going to Party City wouldn’t do it.
Quickly I came upon a few ideas that seemed easy enough that such a novice like me would be able to achieve and yet unique and classy.
Since I was infatuated with the French language and France for a few years before Lexi was born, I went with “Tea Party in France” theme. It fit the bill perfectly- classy, simple, easy to execute and non-specific.
I am starting a series of posts about Alexis’ First Birthday celebration.
I was going back and forth between doing a party and celebrating small with just family and then finally things started falling in place for a party, so I decided to go for it.
We both felt like the first year needs to be celebrated. It was a trying and a joyful year for us an one of the most important years for Alexis and that needed to be acknowledged.
Slowly I came up with a theme I wanted to have: French. I didn’t have a clear idea on whether it was going to be Paris or Poodle (ok, definitely not poodle) or countryside or shabby chic. It was kind of a mix of everything…but that’s for a later post.
The morning of January 31st, we woke up bright and early with Alexis while it was still sort of dark. Her grandma USA was visiting and my mom is staying with us, so they promptly came out to congratulate their adorable granddaughter and watch her open presents. For the gift opening, she wore her new dress, a birthday gift from Nosilla Organics and a matching diaper ( so cool that we had a teal BG to go with it)
is photography. Photographing my little girl.
I don’t think I am great at it. I am average. But it gives me so much happiness taking photos and then sifting through them, organizing them , processing them. It’s a shame I can’t to on a vacation and organize my photos all day long for 2 weeks …
So while I was gone from here , from life, without having my laptop and my precious photos, and while working on launching Daily Mom, there have been many photos taken a filed away.
Here’s a small part of what I have shot. In just 2 months (has it really been two months) Alexis has changed greatly. I have a lot to catch up on – I know… But I am loving having this blog, and managing Daily Mom and being a SAHM/WAHM to the most adorable toddler in the world and a wife to the most hardworking loving man in the world. I never thought my life would take this kind of track. That I would be a full on MOM. A mom with hobbies and interests and work, but still a MOM, one completely dedicated to her daughter. Yet I am and I am going to embrace it.
you cannot imagine how much my heart swells when I type these words. And at the same time I get this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
The other day I decided that we needed to get out more on the weekends, rather than try to cram as much housework as we can, along with blog work, along with family time. I said “Pfftt! Housework! Who needs a clean and organized house anyways!?” (that’s my philosophy lol) “Let’s go to the lamest freaking bbq show in the worst part of town!”
Ok, I didn’t know it was going to be lame! Or that it’s in THAT part of town. Or that the “petting zoo for kids” meant a lizard and a tired panther in a cage.
